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Project name: Joyce S. Lee

1-How did you get into zines? OR How were you introduced to zines?

I used to research and pitch stories for magazines. Sometimes the best ones wouldn’t get picked for whatever reason, and I thought, “I should publish them myself!”

2-If you didn’t make zines, what do you think you’d be doing?

Making zines lets me research topics I’m interested in, and also create interesting ways to share that information. So if I didn’t make zines, I would be doing that in other ways—probably readin, writin, and surfin the internet (more than I already do).

3-What are your inspirations?

Right now I’m really inspired by WET: The Magazine of Gourmet Bathing. It was published for a few years in the 1970s and 80s by the artist/architect/publisher Leonard Koren. I like how it riffs on the universality of bathing, and its semi-serious but mostly absurd approach.

4-What projects do you have lined up for 2017?

I’m actually working on WET fanzine, as well as a zine about folktale formulas, or repeated themes in stories from around the world. Most of my research right now is about the Aarne-Thompson-Uther system, which is essentially a catalog of common narratives, like “The Lazy Boy and the Industrious Girl”, “The Cat as Helper”, and “Big Fight over Magic Things”. (No, I didn’t make those up.)

5-Our theme for this year is the Apocalypse. What 3 things would you want to have with you to survive?

1-How did you get into zines?OR How were you introduced to zines?

From the first zine I saw, I was struck that this was the best form to express myself.

2-If you didn’t make zines, what do you think you’d be doing?

If zines were not available I would still be looking for a way to expose my art to an audience.

3-What are your inspirations?

I am inspired by the misfits who have sung their unvarnished soul to generations after their time ( Van Gogh, Nietzsche, Walt Whitman).

4-What projects do you have lined up for 2017?

Going through old journals and pulling drawings and paintings telling of my journey to now.

5-Our theme for this year is the Apocalypse. What 3 things would you want to have with you to survive?

Should I survive the apocalypse I hope to have 1) a livable environment, 2) means of survival, 3) agreeable companions.

]]>PZS 2017 EXHIBITOR INTERVIEWS: The Collagemonautshttp://www.portlandzinesymposium.org/2017/07/21/pzs-2017-exhibitor-interviews-the-collagemonauts/
Fri, 21 Jul 2017 20:30:26 +0000http://www.portlandzinesymposium.org/?p=5306This year PZS will have different exhibitors Saturday and Sunday. You will find The Collagemonauts on Saturday at table 38B.

Project name: The Collagemonauts

1-How did you get into zines? OR How were you introduced to zines?

I started meeting people who make zines in Seattle. Through them, I found out about Short Run. I went with another member of the Collagemonauts and we’ve been hooked ever since.

2-If you didn’t make zines, what do you think you’d be doing?

We make all kinds of art. We all love to make the work that ends up in zines and other publications but we also make other art. Art is our passion. It’s what we do even when we have no idea what we’re doing it for. We can’t help ourselves. We are artists and it’s what we do.

3-What are your inspirations?

The Collagemonauts have been inspired by many things. Our collaborations started with the Surrealist technique of the exquisite corpse. We are also inspired by comic books, religious imagery, film, animation, medical illustration, outer space, psychedelic art and music, and photography. Some of the artists we are inspired by are Moebius, Jack Kirby, Jean Dubuffet, Terry Gilliam, Salvador Dali, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Brendan McCarthy and Mike Mignola. We are incredibly inspired by the innumerable talented artists living and working in the great Pacific Northwest.

4-What projects do you have lined up for 2017?

So far this year we have published an additional chapter to our Collagemonauts comic book, a collection of monster drawings by Marty Gordon and two collections of black and white collage by Craig van den Bosch and Marty Gordon. We have also started tabling at a few local zine festivals and hope to expand to others next year. One of our hopes is to help other artists fulfill their dreams of publishing their first zine, comic or art book.

5-Our theme for this year is the Apocalypse. What 3 things would you want to have with you to survive?

Project name: Erika Rier

Project website/blog/social media presence:

1-How did you get into zines? OR How were you introduced to zines?

I started making zines and self-published books in the early 90’s when I was about 13. I was really into a lot of riot grrrl, punk, and local indie music as well as things like Sassy magazine. Between hanging out a record stores, reading zine reviews in Sassy & Maximum Rock and Roll, it seemed inevitable that i would make zines. I’ve always been obsessed with magazines in general so the idea of making my own has always appealed to me.

2-If you didn’t make zines, what do you think you’d be doing?

Still making art and writing and if not art and writing I think I’d be a chef.

3-What are your inspirations?

I find inspiration in all the little details of life whether it’s how some moss is growing on a stonewall or the way a stranger on the bus is dressed or some random snippet of conversation. I’m also endlessly inspired by my daughter and her ceaseless creativity and always interesting perspective on the world. More and more of my zines are either active collaborations with her or are created with a lot of feedback from her.

4-What projects do you have lined up for 2017?

I have four main things I’m getting ready for as we enter the second part of 2017. I have a solo art show at Multnomah Art Center Gallery which opens September 3rd. I’m also preparing for Short Run in Seattle which I’m trying to get a second issue of my Gentlewoman’s Guide ready for. Right before that I’ll be part of the Center of Contemporary Art in Seattle’s 24 Hour Art Marathon and Auction. And finally, I’m also having a solo show in December at Sizzle Pie’s Quality Bar in Downtown Portland. Typing this all out has suddenly made me very anxious about how much work I have ahead of me!

5-Our theme for this year is the Apocalypse. What 3 things would you want to have with you to survive?

A PITT artist pen sized S that never ran out of ink and a tip that never wore out, a large plain Midori notebook that never ran out of pages, and lots of little crunchy snacks.

Project name: Comeback Magazine

Project website/blog/social media presence:

1-How did you get into zines? OR How were you introduced to zines?

I found zines when I was at a local cafe and they had a table with all types of zines laid out across it. The passion that was spilling out of each zine was incredibly inspiring, prompting me to jump on the computer and start learning how I could make my own. At the time, I had taken a break from my blog and was left with a lack of space to flex my creative muscle. I really missed it, but blogging had become a different world and I couldn’t dedicate the time to daily content.

With zines, I saw them as a way to bring the collaborative content of a blog into the real world. I loved being able to hold all these creative ideas and stories in my hands and bring design into the real world. I love sharing them with friends and sending them to people all over the world, anxiously waiting for the package to arrive at their front steps.

2-If you didn’t make zines, what do you think you’d be doing?

I’ve always loved continuously creating new content as ideas come up and the world changes. Because of this, I’d most likely be finding a creative project to focus on, such as designing or photography, that would push me to new areas and has a mission that I can get behind. It doesn’t matter what the creative project is, however, as I love learning new techniques or forms of making.

3-What are your inspirations?

My inspirations range from beautiful photos I pass by on Instagram a stunning group of colors I see on a shopping bag. The world around me is my biggest inspiration, and if nothing seems to pop out at me at the moment, I find that messing around and freely experimenting can uncover inspiration just as well.

4-What projects do you have lined up for 2017?

Currently working on publishing the rest of the issues for the year, and am planning to attend many more events throughout the year! Hopefully, I’ll be releasing some new projects, like stickers and mini books.

5-Our theme for this year is the Apocalypse. What 3 things would you want to have with you to survive?

To survive is a whole different question than what I would save. So for that, I’d go with the absolute essentials: thai food, a swiss army knife, and a really thick, warm coat that’s lined with flannel on the inside.

Project name: Andy Gabrysiak

1-How did you get into zines? OR How were you introduced to zines? The summer after graduating high school I came across a copy of Crimewave USA although would not have known the term “zine” at the time. The cover featured articles on two particular comedy interests – Don Knotts, and Tony Clifton, which certainly caught my attention. The next zines I would have read were probably comics-related. Possibly Trubble Club, a collection of jam comics by a rotating group of Chicago based cartoonists.

2-If you didn’t make zines, what do you think you’d be doing? Taking naps

3-What are your inspirations? There are visual artists and comedians whose work I admire, but seeing artist and musician friends doing great work is what really gets me inspired to get started on something.

4-What projects do you have lined up for 2017? Currently working on an edition of 61 prints for the Corpus Corpus Print Exchange curated by Paul Nudd as well as designing the cover and centerfold of my friend John Maggie‘s new zine, Death Fight. I recently contributed an illustration to accompany a poem in the upcoming issue of Grand Circus(included as the attachment)

5-Our theme for this year is the Apocalypse. What 3 things would you want to have with you to survive? Coffee, Burt’s Bees lip balm, and my inhaler

Tabler: Nicole Witch-Hazel

Project Name: Go Trespassing

How did you get into zines?: Through the underground anarchist and communist scenes in the New Hampshire/Boston area in the late 90’s

If you didn’t make zines, what would you be doing?: Tending to my other life projects: becoming an herbalist, studying horticulture, playing in punk/hardcore bands, healing, grieving, trying to break the hold of capitalism and hatred in our lifetime, falling in love over and over again.

What projects do you have lined up for 2017: A teaser for Go trespassing 3 for SF Zine fest, another trans erotic/pornographic photo zine, a zine of my favorite herbal medicines,

What three things would you want to have with you for the apocalypse?: My soul mate, a knife, a 30 years supply of liquid eyeliner.

]]>PZS 2017 EXHIBITOR INTERVIEWS: Nia Kinghttp://www.portlandzinesymposium.org/2017/07/21/pzs-2017-exhibitor-interviews-nia-king/
Fri, 21 Jul 2017 18:43:45 +0000http://www.portlandzinesymposium.org/?p=5292This year PZS will have different exhibitors Saturday and Sunday. You will find Nia King on Saturday at table 33A.

Project name: Nia KingProject website/blog/social media presence:

I first “discovered” zines at the Lucy Parsons Center, a radical book store in Boston.

2-If you didn’t make zines, what do you think you’d be doing?

Blogging more?

3-What are your inspirations?

I recently reread all of the zines in the series “Cheer the Eff Up” by a Chicago zinester who goes only by “Jonas”. They are really good and rereading them has made me want to write more.

4-What projects do you have lined up for 2017?

I’m really excited to be one of the ONLY US distributors for two amazing Canadian books by queer trans women of color, Small Beauty by jia qing wilson-yang and Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars by Kai Cheng Thom. I’m hype to help get more amazing QPOC lit from other countries into the hands of American audiences. That is one of the projects I’m working on for 2017.

5-Our theme for this year is the Apocalypse. What 3 things would you want to have with you to survive?

A knife, a cup, and either a flashlight or a box of matches. I can’t decide.
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PZS 2017 Programming Interview: Radio Geeklyhttp://www.portlandzinesymposium.org/2017/07/21/pzs-2017-programming-interview-radio-geekly/
Fri, 21 Jul 2017 15:26:10 +0000http://www.portlandzinesymposium.org/?p=5284Radio Geekly will be leading a panel discussion on Saturday at 9am-11am located across from APANO at Portland Community College SE in room Tabor 125.

[Who is involved in the programming and what should we expect?]

Kyle Kerezsi: ARG member, Evening News producer

Jess Damon: ARG member, host of Monday Sampler

S.W. Conser: ARG member, host of Words and Pictures & The Film Show

Expect broadcast equipment, commentary on resistance and comics, the types of resistance that take form in the arts and on the streets, mutual confusion on what’s happening in the world and an earnest pursuit to understand it.

[What changes have you seen in your art in the last year?]

Any changes happened in growth as we approach our one year mark in August. We set out to cover facets of geek culture, shedding light on issues in diversity, gatekeeping and oppression. In the process, collective members immersed in communities, passions and provocative conversations.

[What parts of PZS 2017 are you most excited about?]

The zines! The invigoration and dedication that come from the small press community. Conversations with creatives who care about their work or what they want to share. Any social zeitgeist captured by the collective zinesters, cartoonists and artists at the symposium.

]]>PZS 2017 EXHIBITOR INTERVIEWS: Anna Vo of FIX MY HEAD and AN OUT RECORDINGShttp://www.portlandzinesymposium.org/2017/07/20/pzs-2017-exhibitor-interviews-anna-vo-of-fix-my-head-and-an-out-recordings/
Thu, 20 Jul 2017 22:27:12 +0000http://www.portlandzinesymposium.org/?p=5280This year PZS will have different exhibitors Saturday and Sunday. You will find Anna Vo on Saturday & Sunday as our featured poster artist.

1-How did you get into zines?OR How were you introduced to zines?

Through trauma and needing to vent.

2-If you didn’t make zines, what do you think you’d be doing?

The same thing I am doing – running social justice trainings, illustrating/making comics, making music, organizing for the rights of People of Color, stand up comedy, and educating young people.

3-What are your inspirations?

People who build awareness around disenfranchised communities, and indigenous land rights – when I was a kid I was inspired by Australian journalist John Pilger who writes for the Guardian UK and makes documentaries, interviewing people like the head of British Petroleum, lulls them into a false comfort, then traps them into aggressive line of questioning. When I was a teenager I saw him in the street in Sydney with his wife once and stammered and stuttered that his work meant a lot to me, like a true weirdo.

4-What projects do you have lined up for 2017?

New solo record, new graphic novela, finishing the new Fix My Head issue right now for this weekend. This will most likely be the last issue. Issue 10. I like round numbers.

5-Our theme for this year is the Apocalypse. What 3 things would you want to have with you to survive? My parents, my sister and my partner. That’s four things, I don’t care. lol